Issue 52, 2019

In situ generation of sustainable PLA-based nanocomposites by shear induced crystallization of nanofibrillar inclusions

Abstract

In situ formation of polymer nanofibrils during compounding with a second polymer followed by their immediate solidification due to shear induced crystallization for two pairs of polymers is described. Sustainable green biopolymer–biopolymer nanocomposites of polylactide (PLA) were then fabricated based on two copolyesters forming nanofibrils during shearing: poly(butylene adipate-co-succinate-co-glutarate-co-terephthalate) (PBASGT) and poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT). The shear induced crystallization allowed solidification of PBASGT or PBAT nanofibers immediately under applying a high shear rate without subsequent cooling. The melt memory unveiling as a self-nucleation facilitated shear-induced crystallization. Formation of nanofibril-matrix morphology led to an exceptional combination of strength, modulus and ductility. In situ SEM observation of the tensile test revealed crazing as a dominant mechanism for PLA deformation. However, addition of PBASGT or PBAT resulted in intensified crazing followed by shear banding. Increase of PBASGT or PBAT concentration promoted the brittle-to-ductile transition of the PLA matrix. At the same time, PBAT or PBASGT nanofibers span PLA craze surfaces and at large strain, when PLA craze tufts get broken, they bridge the craze gaps resulting in an increase of both strength and plasticity of PLA.

Graphical abstract: In situ generation of sustainable PLA-based nanocomposites by shear induced crystallization of nanofibrillar inclusions

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
30 Jul 2019
Accepted
16 Sep 2019
First published
25 Sep 2019
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

RSC Adv., 2019,9, 30370-30380

In situ generation of sustainable PLA-based nanocomposites by shear induced crystallization of nanofibrillar inclusions

R. Hosseinnezhad, I. Vozniak, J. Morawiec, A. Galeski and S. Dutkiewicz, RSC Adv., 2019, 9, 30370 DOI: 10.1039/C9RA05919A

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications, without requesting further permission from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given and it is not used for commercial purposes.

To request permission to reproduce material from this article in a commercial publication, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party commercial publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements